Chan Sung Jung Stops Dustin Poirier at the Patriot Center

The latest Ultimate Fighting Championship at the Patriot Center matched 24 fighters and attracted just under 4,600 fans.

The main event between Korean Zombie and Dustin Poirier brought fighters from around the world to compete, but fans cheered loudest for local heroes.

Ultimate Fighter winner, Amir Sadollah, from Richmond, pulled off a razor-thin win over Jorge Lopez. Lopez wrestled Sadollah against the cage for much of the fight, but Sadollah stifled Lopez’s offense and took over the match in the third round to secure a split-decision victory.

Falls Church’s Kamal Shalarus did not fare as well. Stunned early in the first round by a high kick, a dazed Shalarus failed to defend a rear-naked choke from Brazilian fighter Rafeal dos Anjos, tapping just 40 seconds into the opening round.

Donald “The Cowboy” Cerrone, formerly sponsored by Manassas’s own Hatfield Gunsmithing, showed his superior technique by dominating heavy-handed Jeremy Stephens for three rounds to get a unanimous decision. 

In the main event, South Korean fighter Chan Sung Jung, referred to as “The Korean Zombie,” entered the arena to the cheers of local fans sporting South Korean flags.

For three rounds he and Dustin Poirier exchanged blows and submission attempts with Jung maintaining a slight edge. In the fourth round Jung landed several strikes, dazing Poirier who shot for a takedown, but ended up trapped in a submission. Jung cinched up a choke, but Poirier refused to tap and out went unconscious. Referee Dan Miragliotta stopped the fight at 1:07 of the fourth round, giving Chan Sung Jung the submission victory.  

According to UFC president Dana White, Jung also earned a featherweight title shot and received the submission of the night bonus of $40,000.  Both Jung and his opponent, Dustin Poirier, earned another $40,000 for the fight of the night bonus. Tom Lawlor won the $40,000 knock out of the night bonus for his speedy finish of Jason Macdonald just 50 seconds into the first round.

Mixed Martial Arts action returns to Northern Virginia on May 26 in Chantilly.  Ultimate Fighter alumni Zach Davis will be in attendance. The card will include local talent including Manassas Park wrestling coach Ben Martell and former Osborne High School wrestler Corey Tangen. Danger Zone ticket information is available at www.dangerzonemma.com.

Operation Octagon returns to Dulles Sportsplex on July 28 with the return of decorated MMA and Brazillian Jiu Jitsu fighter Mike Pope from Vanguard Gym in Manassas. For more information on that event visit OperationOctagon.com.